The Policing bill must be amended to protect the right to protest and end the slippery slope towards authoritarianism. - @rosaltmann 1/
politicshome.com/thehouse/artic…
Britain as a nation has a heritage of standing up to despots and providing sanctuary to the oppressed. Yet the PCSC bill threatens this heritage by impeding our democratic right to freedom of speech and expression. 2/
Britain rightly gave safe haven to pro-democracy protesters from Hong Kong but - “I fear those arriving to our shores from Hong Kong may quickly recognise shadows of repression which they have just escaped.” - @rosaltmann 3/
Within the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, there are positive measures such as tougher sentences for domestic abusers. Despite some of the positive measures within this bill, it is laced with insidious and authoritarian measures. 4/
Buried within this bill is Clause 59 - a direct attack on one of the most fundamental freedoms of any democratic society, the right to peaceful protest. 5/
Clause 59 prohibits large-scale protests from taking place in Parliament Square on the grounds that they may obstruct a vehicle accessing the parliamentary estate. 6/
This will essentially create a “Westminster bubble”, allowing the PM to get from Downing St to the dispatch box, with no sign of protesters. Out of sight, out of mind. 7/
Britain knows about Beijing’s attack on democracy in Hong Kong due to audible and visible protests from the citizens of Hong Kong, leading Britain to offer visas to those wanting to leave. 8/
Yet if Clause 59 of the PCSC remains unamended, then those arriving from Hong Kong will find themselves in a country which also limits protest, stifling freedom of speech and expression. 9/
Parliament Square has been the site of many peaceful protests, by people of all political persuasions. For the UK Government to disallow Parliament Square as a site of protest, is a direct violation of our democratic rights. 10/
Baroness Altmann supports the amendment to Clause 59 and calls upon her Conservative colleagues to back this amendment as well. 11/
“It is time for Parliament to stand up for our cherished freedoms and end this slippery slope towards authoritarianism. Despots surround themselves with yes-men and hear only what they want to. It has never ended well.” - @rosaltmann /END

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More from @BestForBritain

Jan 17,
🚨BREAKING🚨: Best for Britain's #PolicingBill amendment protecting your right to protest outside Parliament has just been passed in HoL. MPs will now be asked to vote on it. bestforbritain.org/best_for_brita… 1/4
“While it’s not our only objection to this Bill, this victory should give hope to everyone who believes that civil rights are not a partisan issue and that no government should be allowed to silence the people they represent." - B4B CEO @pimlicat 2/4
"I hope MPs will support the right for large peaceful protests to continue to take place in Parliament Square and recognise that the Policing Bill needs to be amended so that permission can be given for these protests to go ahead." - Lord Colville who tabled the amendment 3/4
Read 4 tweets
Dec 21, 2021
Three small businesses share their stories of the first year after Brexit...👇1/
ft.com/content/bc0563…
For Kiran Tawadey, owner of the Hampstead Tea company, it has been a heartbreaking decision but on January 1 she will shut down her UK manufacturing operation as a result of border bureaucracy brought in by Brexit. Five full-time employees will be made redundant. 2/
“We couldn’t hire a new manager or a forklift driver; costs in the UK were going through the roof. It all suddenly became clear." She added clients in Japan, Australia and the rest of the world are now also increasingly requesting to be serviced out of the EU hub. 3/
Read 11 tweets
Dec 7, 2021
"Progressives ought to embrace strategic voting with a vengeance next week to weaken Mr Johnson’s position."

Yes. Cooperation between progressive parties needs to start now to be able to oust this Government at the next general election. 1/
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Our analysis shows fielding unity candidates between Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens in 154 battleground constituencies in England would relegate the Conservatives to just 254 of 533 seats in England, leaving them 40 seats short of a majority & unable to form a government. 2/
This is the case even if the Conservatives were to hold their 20 Scottish and Welsh seats and gain the support of the DUP’s 8 MPs.

So Labour would only need to step back in 26 seats where the Lib Dems have greater support to oust this government at the next general election. 3/
Read 15 tweets
Nov 23, 2021
Did you miss Secretary of State for International Trade & President of The Board of Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan's speech yesterday?

If you did, don't worry - we've fact checked it so you don't have to. 1/
Firstly, she celebrates Britain's leadership in creative industries - something her own government is damaging with its refusal to solve the post-Brexit problems impacting the sector. 2/
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
All year those industries have actively spoken out against the Government's Brexit policies for the damage they’ve done. 3/
tradeandbusiness.uk/news/governmen…
Read 12 tweets
Nov 13, 2021
Today is #WorldKindnessDay.

While the world of politics involves a lot of debate and disagreement, this doesn’t mean it ought to turn a blind eye to gratuitous attacks and pile-ons.

But try telling that to this government. 1/
bestforbritain.org/unkind_times
People blame social media for the unkindness that dominates our political discourse. But the tone is set at the very top and in this Government, positive examples of kind and responsible - or even civil - political discourse are rare. 2/
Example: Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has engaged in notorious Twitter mud-slinging, even encouraging a pile-on on @SadiqKhan because he dared to weigh in on hate speech. 3/16
mirror.co.uk/news/politics/…
Read 17 tweets
Nov 11, 2021
Transparency is key to a functioning democracy.

Transparency allows us to hold our elected representatives to account for their actions.

It enables scrutiny.

It prevents those we have put in power from using that power in a way that undermines the interests of the people. 1/
In the interests of transparency, here are some of the more egregious examples of MPs' outside interests being reflected in their actions in Parliament.

For context, 50 Conservative MPs have earned £1.7m in consultancy fees this year alone. 2/
labourlist.org/2021/11/50-tor…
We have to start with the name on everyone's lips - Geoffrey Cox - who earned a fortune providing legal advice to the British Virgin Islands over allegations of corruption. Some of which he did from his taxpayer-funded parliamentary office. 3/
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…
Read 13 tweets

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